Skip to main content
USENIX
  • Conferences
  • Students
Sign in
  • Overview
  • Conference Organizers
  • Registration Information
    • Registration Discounts
    • Hotel and Travel Information
    • Live Streaming
  • Purchase the Box Set
  • Why Attend LISA '13?
    • Watch the Video
  • Convince Your Boss
  • Program
    • At a Glance
    • Calendar
    • Training Program
    • Technical Sessions
    • Invited Speakers
    • Workshops
    • Conference Themes
  • Co-located Events
    • SESA '13
    • Gluster Community Day
    • Puppet Camp DC
    • Data Storage Day
    • Build a Cloud Day
  • Students and Grants
  • Sponsorship and Exhibition
    • Sponsors and Exhibitors
    • Vendor Exhibition
    • Exhibitor Services
    • Download Prospectus
  • Call for Participation
  • For Participants
    • Speaker Resources
  • Help Promote!
    • Flyer PDF
    • Brochure PDF
  • Activities
    • Birds-of-a-Feather Sessions
    • Poster Session
    • Lightning Talks Sign Up Form
    • LISA Lab Hack Space
  • Services
  • Questions
  • Past Conferences

sponsors

Gold Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
General Sponsor
General Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Industry Partner
Industry Partner
Industry Partner
Industry Partner

twitter

Tweets by @LISAConference

usenix conference policies

  • Event Code of Conduct
  • Conference Network Policy
  • Statement on Environmental Responsibility Policy

You are here

Home ยป How to Interview a System Administrator
Tweet

connect with us

http://www.facebook.com/LISAConf
http://twitter.com/LISAConference
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=49559
https://plus.google.com/108588319090208187909/posts
http://www.youtube.com/user/USENIXAssociation

How to Interview a System Administrator

Half Day Morning
(9:00 am-12:30 pm)

Harding Room

Linux
M5
Updated!
Adam Moskowitz
Description: 

Do you know how to interview a system administrator? Do the questions you ask elicit specific, narrowly-focused information, or do they show you both the depth and breadth of a candidate's knowledge of a particular subject or technology? Do you know how to distinguish between a candidate who is just trying to bluff through the interview and one who has some knowledge of the field but hasn't yet become an expert? Are trick questions ever appropriate, and if so, when and why? Some questions shouldn't be asked, and some would even land you in hot water with your company's HR or legal department: do you know what those questions are? Finally, have you figured out how to help a candidate do well in an interview while still getting an objective and fair assessment of their skills?

If you answered "no" or even "I'm not sure" to any of these questions, this course is for you.

This tutorial will focus on techniques for interviewers, but even sysadmins who are just starting out will learn some things to use as an interviewee. Managers of system administrators and junior sysadmins will learn, among other things, how to interview someone who knows more than you do. Junior administrators will also learn how to respond (as an interviewee) when asked a bad question, in particular, how to turn it into a better question.

Who should attend: 

System administrators of all levels of experience, as well as managers of system administrators.

Take back to work: 

Increased confidence in your ability to weed out the posers and hire really great sysadmins.

Topics include: 
  • Purposes of an interview
    • To assess the candidate's technical skills
    • To get a feel for the candidate's personality and interpersonal skills
    • To learn whether a candidate is likely to be a good fit with the company and with the IT group
    • To help the candidate figure out whether he wants this job and whether he is likely to do well in the position
    • Maybe even to teach the candidate something new about system administration
  • Basic questions to bear in mind
    • Is the candidate comfortable?
    • Does he need a drink or a bathroom break?
    • Does she know who you are and what your role in the company is?
  • Preparatory questions
    • What are you really trying to learn about the candidate's skills, and why?
    • What makes a good question good?
    • What makes a bad question bad?
    • How can you turn bad questions into good ones?
    • When is it appropriate to ask a trick question, and why?
    • What questions can't or shouldn't you ask?

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

General Sponsors

Media Sponsors & Industry Partners

© USENIX

LISA is a registered trademark of the USENIX Association.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us